Most of us see Christmas as a magical time of receiving gifts, eating far too much food and spending quality time with loved ones; it’s is a time of wonderful celebration of family and gratitude. Many, however, are unable to enjoy it in this way.

Some are alone at Christmas, while some simply don’t have the money to celebrate how they’d like to; some don’t have a roof over their heads, and some don’t have the time to celebrate due to their jobs.

Instead of worrying about what we’ll be getting in our stockings or how much stuffing we’ll need once the whole family is over, is it about time we also start wondering what we can do to help those who struggle most at this time of year?

Helping someone else at Christmas could include checking in on a lonely neighbour and offering them some chocolate, or you could donate some food to a local foodbank so that families can have an actual mealtime for Christmas day.

Care homes for the elderly and the disabled very often warmly welcome volunteers to come and sit with the residents, to sing Christmas carols with them and generally brighten the mood. Many of them don’t receive visits or presents from family members, so popping in to have a chat and entertain them for a bit – it’s really as simple as offering your time and your smile! - can mean the absolute world.

Additionally, supermarkets are very likely to have a food donation drop-off point. If you’re in Tesco buying some last minute presents and raisins for the cake, why not get some tins of food or a few nice Christmas-themed snacks for the food banks?

Another idea could be to pack a rucksack with some essentials (food, a sturdy water bottle, hat and gloves, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.) and sometime around Christmas going out and offering it to a homeless person. It is so easy for the majority of us to get these things, but for someone living on the street it can be near impossible.

These are just a few ideas of ways to help at Christmas, and obviously coronavirus regulations must be considered this year. I urge you to think creatively about ways you can help those around you; you can be the magic of someone else’s Christmas.